Fifty employers and education institutions will exhibit at this year’s Careers 2008 at the Villa Marina on Thursday, February 7, making it the biggest one yet.

The Department of Education has teamed up with the Department of Trade and Industry to provide what's described as 'a more structured and dynamic annual event.'

The Department of Trade and Industry has five Sector Skills groups: ICT, Finance, Construction, Engineering and Retail and Hospitality.

The idea is to group exhibitors from individual sectors together to allow visitors to the event to go straight to the employers they wish to speak to and spend time with them, gaining advice on how to enter those professions.

The DTI will have its own stand and will be providing insight into what goes on within the sectors.

It's the first time the engineering skill sector will be there. An hourly presentation in the Cinema called 'Engineering the Future', will show what products are designed and manufactured in the Isle of Man and where they are used in the world.

Other professions represented at Careers 2008 include the armed forces, law, media, the voluntary sector and a variety of Manx Government departments, including Personnel, Health, Home Affairs, Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Local Government and the Environment.

The Department of Education’s Careers Advisers will have their own stand and experienced educationalists will be on hand to talk about how to enter the teaching profession.

Nearly 1,000 pupils from all five secondary schools, as well as students from the Isle of Man College, will be attending the event to learn about the opportunities available to them.

Education Minister Anne Craine MHK says Careers 2008 gives students the opportunity to look for a career they will both excel in and enjoy. Trade and Industry Minister David Cretney MHK has described it as: 'an excellent example of the Sector Skills Groups in action, making links between employers, education providers and those seeking employment opportunities now and in the future.'

The event is open from 9am-7.30pm on Thursday, February 7 at the Villa Marina, Douglas. Admission is free.

(Picture: The Villa Marina, from manxscenes.com).